Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-04-23
LETTER FROM THE WEST.
WIcHITA, KANSAS, April ID, 1887.


hOAb ~ lttCuuc III DCt NCtCJ Oouhpf
about what think of Wichita and
whether her boom is over, her race
run and her destiny fulfilled, that ]
find it impossible TO answer their
queries separately. If therefore you
will permit me to do SO, ! will try
through your columns to describe
this city of wonders, where wonder
and amazement strikes the most
credulous. Although in SO short an
article as this must necessarily be,
it will be impossible to more than
glance at the growth, stability and
progress of the city.
In the first place the city is situat-
ed on the banks of the Big and
Little Arkansas River, and in a fine
prairie land of excellent soil, and sur
rounded for miles by the same kind
of soil. The sub soil being sandy
the earth for many miles, in fact
throughout the whole Arkansas
valley stretching for hundreds of
miles along the Big Arkansas river,
q few feet from the surface is per-
meated with water, so that good
drinking water may be obtained in
abundance by driving a pipe down
from 6 to 80 feet; and all over the
valley may be seen the windmill
pumping away constantly. The city
is methodically LAID out, streets
wide, smooth, well shaded by trees,
and natural pavement is formed
by simply driving over the ground
a few times. The buildings, both
business and residence, are of the
most modern architecture, both in
appearance and utility. A more
beautiful city cannot be found of six
times its age between the two
oceans; built, supported and ruiz in
all its interests by young, energetic
men from all sections Of the country.
Strangers call her growth boom.
old Wichitains call it growth aud
don't like the word boom. She
could do no other than grow with
such man as Col. M. M. Murdoch,
whose honest independence has
held steady hand through the
Eagle increasingly watching her
minutest wants.
This city is 200 miles from any
other large distributing point, with
a vast area of territory to feed and
supply. She has seven railroads
centering here, some Of which are
mammoth corporations, whose
branches ramify the whole state Of
Kansas, and four other roads now
building Tor here. Already the job
ing and wholesale houses here are
doing large and profitable business.
The only Clearing House in the
state is found here. The cieariDgs
for last year amounted to over
eighteen millions. Seven banking
institutions are doing business here,
with capital OF seven million
dollars, and employ from 4 to 20
clerks, cashiers, book keepers, &C.,
each. The deposits last year were
above two million. She has now
about 120 manufactures OF different
kinds, employing over Is hundred
men, with pay roll of $4,000 a
week, and for the last month there
has been quite a number Of large
manufacturing plants figuring for
this point, with a canning house and
glass foundry just located. The
real estate transfers for last year
run up to seventeen millions, with
large increase this year for every
corresponding month last year; and
all the business houses, both whole
sale and retail, are doing not only
a good business, but the same
activity prevails in all branches OF
business that is found in the real
estate. Indeed. in my humble opin.
ion the real estate activity would
never have come but for the fact
that the business men we're and are
deeply impressed with the idea that
this is to be the distributive depot
for the great South West, as it
has already assumed that position.
l have made it q point in order to
study the unparalleled growth of this
city, to visit other booming towns
in the state, and whilst | find many
where there seems to be a real es-
tate boom and speculation is at pres
ent somewhat remuneIatiye, | find
stores and large stocks of goods
without buyers, showing that these
towns are surviving alone upon
boom. This can not be said of this
city by any one who sees it. Street
railways traverse the city in all d.
rections, and as an evidence that
they are not mere advertisements,
the stock is one of the best invest
ments in the city. There are now
under adyisement two motor lines,
one of which will take in the vest
side OF the city. The stock l have
no doubt will be subscribed before
this letter appears in print. Moth
ing fails here for want of money or
energy. Men put their money in
and that makes the city go. One
thing / had almost forgot, this must
be the Athens of Kansas. Some
nine institutions of learning, besides
the public school buildings, are al
ready in course of erection, costing
from thirty thousand to two hundred
Thousand each, and the money has
been provided for their completion.
The Catholics alone will have two
fine institutions here. More than
5000 houses, many fine and costly
ones, are now being built, giving
employment to all the worknen now
here, and 1000 more buildings are
waiting for material which cannot
be delivered here by the seven rail
roads in quantities to meet the de-
mand. And all this has been ac-
complished By individual effort, no
organized effort of any kind to boom
Wichita hos eyer hapn had or naad